


New Traditions

by caedi



Category: Glee
Genre: Episode Related, F/M, Family, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-19
Updated: 2013-02-19
Packaged: 2017-11-29 19:58:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,596
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/690856
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/caedi/pseuds/caedi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A week before Christmas Burt Hummel talks to his son and forms a plan. 4x10 Missing Scene.</p>
            </blockquote>





	New Traditions

Burt arrives home after his doctor’s appointment, removing his cap and rubbing over his bald head as he shuts the door. He stands there for a moment, taking in the movement within the house. The windows rattling against the wind, the creak of footsteps and muffled laughter from upstairs. The smell of burnt low fat popcorn which confirms that, yes, Sam must have someone over. It feels like home, and he takes strength from the comforting sounds for a moment, before remembering.

He has to tell Kurt.

Carole is right behind him, watching him with a worried expression. She rests a hand on his shoulder to get his attention, and says, “It’ll be okay.”

He nods, words trapped in his throat, feeling overwhelmed for a moment. No matter how high the survival rate, how early they’ve caught it, cancer is still a risk. Still a bloody terrifying thing to face. He holds onto Carole, as she whispers, “It’ll be okay,” in his ear again as if saying it enough times will make it true, and his mind races thinking of who can look after the shop (Finn? He’s still helping out with their Glee Club but maybe...?) and for how long he’ll be out and all the information about chemotherapy and treatment plans and how the hell is he going to tell Kurt? There’s no easy way to do it, but he can’t help but want to shelter Kurt from it. His son, his little boy, accepted to his dream school and living his life in New York like he always wanted, and Burt is about to tell him the one thing that will make his son yearn to be back in Ohio.

He doesn’t want to ruin Kurt's new found happiness, especially now that he's been accepted into that damn school. Burt doesn't want to do anything that will distract his son from all the great things he's destined to achieve in his life. He knows the emotional turmoil Kurt went through after his heart attack, and he never wants to see his son like that again. He has no idea how to shelter Kurt from this, though, and he certainly can’t keep it from him. Kurt deserves to know, it’s just a matter of _how_.

When he talks, it’s muffled into Carole’s hair, “How the hell’re we going to tell the boys?”

She leans back, still clutching at Burt’s plaid shirt as if afraid to let go, “Is Kurt coming home for Christmas?”

“Dunno,” he replies. “He was gonna call me about it today. God, Carole. I don’t want to ruin Christmas.”

“It won’t, Burt,” she says, flicking the rim on his cap playfully and _God_ he loves this women and how she knows just the right way to settle his nerves. “Your Doctor said we caught it early, and there’s a 98% survival rate. We're so lucky, Burt, to have caught it early. A few months of treatment and-” she trails off, looking him in the eye.

“-and it’ll all be over by next Christmas,” he finishes, squeezing her tight and smiling down at her from underneath his cap.

“Let's hold onto that thought,” she says, kissing him on the cheek and moving away.

As they make their way through the house, a thought occurs to Burt. There is no way he can tell Kurt this over the phone, and the last time they talked Kurt sounded so stressed, juggling his NYADA enrollment and finishing up his internship. He knows his son doesn't want to miss Christmas and the family time that comes with it, but to Burt it sounded like it'd take miracle to get Kurt on a plane to Ohio sometime in the next week. Calling up and telling Kurt about the cancer after he's just cancelled on them for Christmas sounds even worse, and the last thing he wants is Kurt alone on Christmas day, going through the terror of his dad being sick alone, again. Maybe, though, that's the answer. Maybe he can still see Kurt for Christmas, just not in Lima. “Would your sister be upset if there were two less for Christmas?” he asks.

“Upset?” Carole smiles, “Honestly, I think she’d be delighted. She’s already called twice this week to complain about the effort it takes to put on Christmas for the whole family.”

“Well then, if Kurt can’t come here maybe I’ll go to him,” Burt says. “I can't tell Kurt this over the phone, Carole. It's too big.”

Carole nods, “and we’ll tell Finn together when you get back.” She pauses, looking at him in the eye as he rubs the back of his head, worrying. “It’ll be alright, Burt. We have to believe that if nothing else.”

Kurt rings an hour later, and Burt forgets about his appointment for a moment and just listens to Kurt’s voice. He’s just returned from completing his enrollment for NYADA and Isabelle has asked him to do one final project for Vogue.com that might be featured on their website in mid January. There is a genuine happiness in his voice that Burt wasn’t sure he’d ever hear again, at the end of last year.

“But with all of this preparation for NYADA and the textbooks and extra costs, Dad, I don’t think I’ll be able to come to Lima for Christmas.”

Burt sighs, “Yeah, I kinda guessed that’s where this was leading.”

“I’m sorry Dad, I feel so bad. I hate that we’re going to miss out on all of our traditions.” Kurt says, and Burt can hear the clattering of pans that means Kurt's making something in the kitchen, one handed like always. Most likely hot chocolate, or warm milk. Something to warm him up after the winter weather (as if all those scarves don't warm him up enough. It has to be admitted though, Hummel men have a weakness for comfort foods.) 

“Yeah, I’ll miss you too, buddy,” Burt says. “But this is a time for new traditions as well as the old,” and maybe visiting New York for Christmas is just the sort of new tradition he and Kurt need.

Kurt smiles, “That’s the plan, at least.”

For a while, they talk about his plans for Christmas alone in New York. The conversation is centered around all the different shops that are open and places to get hot chocolate and ways for them to maybe talk each other through their Christmas Eve gifts, and the longing in Kurt’s voice confirms what Burt already knew. Kurt is doing this for NYADA. He’s doing this to have his best chance at this school, not because he really wants to be alone on Christmas. Kurt mentions, longingly, that they haven't been able to get a Christmas tree and then they're talking about his Mom and how much fun they used to have decorating the tree. It reminds Burt how fiercely he loves his family, and even though there's an almost 100% survival rate, there's still a 2% chance that something will go wrong, that the treatment won't work, that they'll discover something even worse. He wants to spend all the time he can with Kurt, seeing what his life in New York is like, meeting his friends, his new support group that was so noticeably absent when Burt woke up from his coma two years ago. He just wants to hold the people he loves as tightly to him as he can, and there ain't no one he loves more than his son.

He’s not sure why he mentions it, Kurt’s tone of voice, the talk about traditions, or the thought that all he wants is to know Kurt has someone to support him through this unconditionally, but when their Christmas conversation quietens, Burt says, “Blaine’s been round here a bit more, with Sam. Said you two were talking again, seemed real pleased about it.”

“We’ve been talking a few times a week since Thanksgiving,” Kurt says, sounding muffled for a few seconds as he does something on the other end. Taking off a scarf maybe, now that he has a hot chocolate to warm him up, or sitting down on his bed. Burt’s only seen pictures of the apartment, but he always tries to imagine what Kurt might be doing in it when they talk. Skype remains beyond him, the thought of calling someone on a computer confuses the hell out of him.

Burt chuckles, “And you didn’t think to inform your old man?”

“I guess I didn't want to make too big a deal out of it. It’s just nice to be able to talk to him again.”

Out of the corner of his eye he sees Sam make his way past the kitchen and into the living room, Blaine following him like a shadow, even though he probably knows the house better than any of the kid’s friends. A particularly enthusiastic shadow, gesturing with his hands as he answers Sam and grinning from ear to ear. He remembers seeing Blaine for the first time, after, and thinking he'd hate him. It didn't turn out that way, instead he'd seen a kid with hunched shoulders who wouldn't meet his eyes. A kid who looked like he'd made the worst mistake of his life and was paying for it. Burt wasn’t going to say anything when it was so obvious the kid was punishing himself enough, and it's nice to see that they're both healing.

Blaine gives a little polite wave as they pass, lowering his voice as he notices Burt’s on the phone. As he walks by, Kurt says, “We’re really trying to be friends again. I really want to be friends again, we were friends before we dated so hopefully...“ his voice trails off as if he’s not sure where the sentence was going, or maybe, more accurately, he’s not sure what he’s hoping for out of their friendship. Burt’s pretty sure he knows where Kurt’s heart is headed again, but he’ll wait till Kurt figures it out to say it out loud.

“It must be tough but I’m proud of you buddy. You know my dating history is pretty much just your mom and Carole, but what I do know is that you’re being real mature about this,” Burt says, moving away from the open plan living room as the boys start up some video game to lean against the archway watching them from a further distance.

“It’s not me being mature, I just. I missed him,” Kurt says. “and I was ready to have my best friend back. We were going to talk more at Christmas, have an honest heart-to-heart. I haven’t told him yet that I won’t be in Lima, but we’ll find some other time.”

“He’ll understand. You can still talk at Christmas, just over the phone,” he says, as in the background Sam pushes Blaine across the couch in retaliation for something that’s happening on screen and laughter fills the house.

“It would have been good to see him and talk face to face. The last time, well. The last time I saw him was so bitter, I just want to move on from that. Talking over the phone is a good first step but it’s not the same as actually being with him.”

“If you want to talk to him now he’s here with Sam?”

“It’s alright, we have a phone call scheduled for after work tomorrow. I’ll talk to him then,” Kurt says. “Maybe I’ll be able to visit in January, once I’m settled into NYADA. Or Mr. Schue and Miss Pillsbury’s wedding is in February, it’s a long way away but I’ll definitely be back then.” Kurt’s tone is worried and _sad_ , and it's clear that he's honestly disappointed he and Blaine are going to have to wait to take the next step in repairing their friendship.

“You really want to see him, huh?” Burt says, rubbing the back of his head and looking over to where Sam and Blaine are engrossed in their game.

“Yes,” Kurt whispers, as if he shouldn’t even be saying it.

He’s already bought most of Kurt’s gifts, he just needs his Christmas Eve gift, and suddenly he realizes that maybe there is a solution. The last thing he wants is Kurt alone, and without support when he finds out his old dad is having health issues again. In his junior year Kurt worked himself to exhaustion worrying about him. No kid should go through that alone, so maybe this time he shouldn’t be alone? Someone else could be there with them at Christmas so Kurt has something to distract him from the sad stuff and worrying. Someone Kurt wants to see.

“So, kid. Do you know what Rachel’s plans for Christmas are?”

Kurt chuckles, “Oh my god. Her Dads are taking her on this cruise that sounds like possibly the tackiest thing I’ve ever heard of and she’s trying to convince me to come along! So far I've been able to say no, but it’ll only get worse when I tell her I’m not going to Ohio. If I don’t have enough money for a trip to Lima I certainly don’t have the money for a cruise I don’t even want to go on!”

“Sounds like Rachel,” He pauses for a second, “And her Dads, come to think of It. You sure you don’t want to go on the cruise? It’d be better than Carole’s sister’s place, that’s for sure.”

Kurt laughs, loud and full and honest and in Burt’s opinion there is no better sound in the world, “No, Dad. I’m completely positive.”

“Well you can always change your mind. If it’s too quiet Kurt, just let me know. I know money is pretty tight at the moment, but we’ll organize some way for you to come home.”

“I know, thanks Dad. I’ll be fine, though, I promise.”

“Alright, buddy. Well I gotta check up on some things at the garage before closing. I’ll call you tomorrow, though, okay? Maybe I can figure out Skype for Christmas.”

“Well that would certainly surprise me,” Kurt laughs.

“Hey, don’t be cheeky with me! I love you, Kurt.”

“I love you, too, Dad.” Kurt says, and Burt revels in the sound of his child breathing. When Kurt was a baby Burt would stand in the doorway and just listen to him breathe and marvel at this tiny person they'd created. That never really changes, the feeling that you created this amazing person with hopes and dreams, who means so much to you you could be content to listen to them breathe for the rest of your life. It only lasts for a second, and then the phone clicks and the line quietens, signaling that Kurt has hung up.

Burt puts the phone back in the kitchen, before making his way to the living room where Blaine and Sam are still playing their video game. Something to do with fighting, but Burt really has no idea, video games were the one bonding activity he and Finn never really succeeded at, back when he and Carole were first starting out.

“Hey, kiddo,” he says to Blaine. “You got a minute?”

Blaine looks up at him with wide, hazel eyes, “Of course.” he says, and in the background Sam does something to pause the screen and fist pumps the air shouting, “snack break!” before moving to the kitchen to go though some cupboards.

“Is anything wrong?” Blaine asks, and Burt quickly shakes his head.

“Nah, kid. Just wondering if you had any plans for Christmas.”

**Author's Note:**

> because joking aside, I honestly cannot believe that Burt Hummel, father extraordinaire, would have invited his son's ex-boyfriend to spend Christmas with them without knowing it was what Kurt wanted. So maybe Kurt told him that he and Blaine had wanted to talk face to face at Christmas, and Burt decided to make it happen in NY :)
> 
> It's been a long time since I've written anything off anon (and unfortunately I don't have a beta) so any comments/concrit/kudos would be appreciated. Thanks for reading!


End file.
